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TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 05:44 AM Dec 2019

Beto O'Rourke repeats he's not running for Senate despite continued speculation

Source: Texas Tribune

Beto O’Rourke is reiterating that he is not running for U.S. Senate next year as speculation swirls ahead of the Monday filing deadline.

The former El Paso congressman has long said he would not challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, but since he dropped out of the presidential race last month, some supporters have held out hope for a reversal and buzzed that he may be giving it new consideration.

“Nothings changed on my end,” O’Rourke told The Texas Tribune in a text message on Thursday night. “Not running for senate.”

O’Rourke’s statement comes three days after the release of a poll showing he would fare much better against Cornyn than other Democrats currently running. The survey, commissioned by a group led by an O’Rourke booster, breathed new life into the speculation simmering since early November that O’Rourke could be convinced to make a late entry into the race.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2019/12/05/beto-orourke-knocks-down-senate-speculation-filing-deadline-nears/

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Beto O'Rourke repeats he's not running for Senate despite continued speculation (Original Post) TexasTowelie Dec 2019 OP
It would have been nice to see it but he kind of put himself in a box padah513 Dec 2019 #1
I think that he also wanted to honored his commitment to the other candidates that he would not TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #3
Post removed Post removed Dec 2019 #2
Hopefully he makes a return at some point. shotten99 Dec 2019 #4
If he doesn't receive a position in the Democratic administration in 2021, TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #5
...which he'll probably lose. brooklynite Dec 2019 #28
You are such an upbeat person. TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #29
I find living in the real world far more reassuring... brooklynite Dec 2019 #30
See post #27. nt TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #31
So disappointing. rainin Dec 2019 #6
Did you read the entire article? TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #7
Here we go again. You're right, hon. Whatever you say. Is that better? rainin Dec 2019 #8
You're the one that indicated how disappointed you are about Beto TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #9
I'm allowed to comment when I disagree with a candidate's decisions. I thought. rainin Dec 2019 #12
Actually, it isn't obvious that you support Beto. TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #14
You posted about Beto, so I commented about Beto. rainin Dec 2019 #17
We aren't going to agree so have a good day. TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #19
you win, TexasTowelie Skittles Dec 2019 #21
He does have a challenger JonLP24 Dec 2019 #10
There are ten candidates that have shown interest in the 2020 Senate race. TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #16
I haven't met Cristina LeftInTX Dec 2019 #24
Sema is loco LeftInTX Dec 2019 #23
I don't know much about her TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #25
Is this as big a red flag to everyone else as it is to me? Calista241 Dec 2019 #11
After two years being on the campaign trail TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #18
I know Beto, like Stacey Abrams, committed to not running and I wish they didn't. aikoaiko Dec 2019 #13
I agree. It's a shame. rainin Dec 2019 #15
Add Bullock to that list TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #20
That's disappointing to hear Sapient Donkey Dec 2019 #22
The filing deadline is today wildflower Dec 2019 #26
For some reason, I expect that there will be some people that will still criticize Beto TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #27

padah513

(2,483 posts)
1. It would have been nice to see it but he kind of put himself in a box
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 07:28 AM
Dec 2019

Cornyn would run an endless loop of ads with him saying that he's going to take away your guns and in Texas, that's a death sentence for any politician. Too bad too. I liked his energy.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
3. I think that he also wanted to honored his commitment to the other candidates that he would not
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 07:43 AM
Dec 2019

enter the race. It's important to keep those promises.

Response to TexasTowelie (Original post)

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
5. If he doesn't receive a position in the Democratic administration in 2021,
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 07:49 AM
Dec 2019

then I believe he will consider running for governor.

brooklynite

(93,857 posts)
28. ...which he'll probably lose.
Mon Dec 9, 2019, 02:42 PM
Dec 2019

Unless you imagine a massive shift in Democratic votes by 2022, that's still a huge hill to climb (Abbot won by 1 M + in 2018). I know O'Rourke was seen as "inspiring" in 2018, but I think a lot of his votes were anti-Cruz rather than for him.

rainin

(3,010 posts)
6. So disappointing.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 09:07 AM
Dec 2019

The sad thing is, I didn't even know Cornyn has a democratic challenger. In other words, Cornyn doesn't have a democratic challenger. There may be a name, but he or she isn't generating any interest where I live, so unless something changes soon, Cornyn is going to win easily. Contrast that to Beto and he was everywhere. He drew crowds in deep red counties. He almost unseated Ted Cruz. In Texas! I truly believe he can beat Cornyn this time.

If we believe that there is going to be a blue wave, taking Texas out of play is huge. One person shouldn't be that important, but Beto IS that important. He is the ONE MAN who could lead the movement to turn Texas Blue. Without him, there is no way we can have Texas's 38 votes. This is just math. Beto could do it. No one else can.

Saying his comment about guns is a deal killer is outdated thinking. He overcame a transgression that would ruin the career of a lesser politician - a DUI accident he ran from the scene. Texans forgave that. I believe the majority of eligible voters here in Texas agree with his stance on guns. The problem with Texas is that old people vote, young people don't. He mobilized young people.

This is so disappointing. If he doesn't feel up to grind of politics or of the campaign, he doesn't belong in it at all. If he returns, how do we know he'll stay in it. Politics is hard. It takes you away from your family. It'll beat you up. But, you can't win if you're not on the ballot. If he's in it for the long haul, then Texas needs him and we need him now. Our republic may not be here for the next election.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
7. Did you read the entire article?
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 09:23 AM
Dec 2019

Beto promised other candidates that entered the race that he would not backtrack and enter the campaign. Beto is keeping his word and showing integrity which earns my respect. That is far more important than what any blogger may think or feel about the situation.

It appears that you trying very hard to find a reason to not support Beto in the future so your disappointment has being duly noted. You are welcome to find another candidate to support if Beto decides to run office in the future since he apparently doesn't measure up to your expectations.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
9. You're the one that indicated how disappointed you are about Beto
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 02:38 PM
Dec 2019

and that you don't want to support him because he isn't doing what you want.

Your condescension towards Beto and towards me are available for everyone to see. Beto is keeping his promises to the other candidates that entered the Senate race. I support people that keep their word.

rainin

(3,010 posts)
12. I'm allowed to comment when I disagree with a candidate's decisions. I thought.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 03:06 PM
Dec 2019

It's obvious I support Beto as a candidate. I didn't support his run for the Presidency, because there were so many other qualified candidates and I felt he could do so much in Texas. Perhaps you can concede that his run wasn't successful. I'll posit that he might have won against Cornyn had he stayed in Texas. Joining a huge democratic field with so many qualified candidates was mystifying. He did it. My opinion, along with a lot of Beto supporters, was that he shouldn't have. Many of us appealed to him at the time to stay in Texas and run against Cornyn. Who knows how it would have turned out, but we all see how it did turn out.

Insulting me personally because you don't like my opinion of a candidate isn't a good look for you. You created a post and then insulted me because I stated my opinion about Beto. That doesn't make me look bad. What people see is how insulting you are to me personally because I have an opinion that doesn't perfectly align with yours.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
14. Actually, it isn't obvious that you support Beto.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 04:11 PM
Dec 2019

If at one point you supported him, it appears that you are ready to move on to someone else because you don't think he is fighting hard enough for you. There are plenty of good Democrats that run in every election.

While some may have encouraged Beto to run for another statewide race, there were also just as many people that were encouraging him to run for president. The conventional wisdom in the months following the 2018 election was that Cornyn was more popular than Cruz and that Beto wouldn't run as close of a race against Cornyn than he did with Cruz. The field of candidates for the Democratic presidential race was also smaller and it wasn't even known whether Biden would enter the race when Beto announced his campaign. Other candidates such as Bennet, Bloomberg, Bullock, Hickenlooper, Patrick and Steyer also had not entered the campaign.

Lamenting the fact that you disagreed with Beto's decisions in hindsight is your choice. You have every right to comment about Beto's choices on DU, but you shouldn't be surprised when other people disagree with your retroactive criticism.

Beto has made his decisions and there is nothing either of us can do to change his mind. While I'm disappointed that Beto won't be president, I always knew that his campaign was a longshot from the beginning and I will have to live with it. Meanwhile, you are disappointed that Beto didn't commit to running for Senate and you will have to live with that. I'm sorry that Beto didn't meet your expectations, but I admire how Beto has handled his campaign and his recent involvement in the "FLIP the House" movement with class. Beto is young and he still has a long political career ahead of him if he wants to pursue it. Whether you want to support him in the future is your choice, but as you said above, if Beto isn't committed to running for a specific race then he shouldn't enter it. That is exactly what Beto chose to do.

However, I do wonder whether you are equally disappointed with Wendy Davis because she decided not to run for Senate in either 2018 or 2020. Are you disappointed with her decisions also? What about Julian Castro--are you disappointed with his decisions to stay out of the Senate races in 2018 and 2020 also? I haven't read about your disappointment in their decisions even though they are in roughly equivalent scenarios as Beto, so your opinions about Beto do appear to be selective.

rainin

(3,010 posts)
17. You posted about Beto, so I commented about Beto.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 04:37 PM
Dec 2019

Now, I'm wrong again for not opining on Julian Castro and Wendy Davis? In another thread, you complained I didn't offer my opinion on Steve Bullock - also in a thread about Beto. Are you retroactively including them? Good grief. And how much more obvious can I be that I support Beto's Senate candidacy? I want him to run for Senate because you think I don't support him? I think he could win Texas!

When he entered the race, there were discussion on DU about his choice. Lots of people agreed at the time that he could beat Cornyn if he'd run that race. And, here we are. That's hardly making a retroactive argument.

I'm literally back to "whatever you say". You're going to fight to the death if someone disagrees with your opinion about Beto, including attacking them personally. Okaaaay.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
16. There are ten candidates that have shown interest in the 2020 Senate race.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 04:20 PM
Dec 2019

Some of those candidates have run campaigns previously and a few of them have even been elected to political offices. A few of them have not filed to get on the ballot and they will have to decide by Monday to get on the ballot. With Beto reaffirming that he won't be a candidate for this year, it cleared the way for those who were waiting on the sidelines.

Chris Bell
Michael Cooper
Amanda Edwards
Jack Daniel Foster Jr.
Mary Jennings "M.J." Hegar
Sema Hernandez
John Love III
Adrian Ocegueda
Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez
Royce West

LeftInTX

(24,554 posts)
23. Sema is loco
Sun Dec 8, 2019, 11:58 PM
Dec 2019

She once blamed Joaquin Castro for Puerto Rico's debt.
That was enough for me.
She told me one to one. My jaw dropped.
.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
25. I don't know much about her
Mon Dec 9, 2019, 12:50 AM
Dec 2019

other than she is a DSA member and that she received over 30% of the vote in the 2018 Senate primary against Beto. A look at the map showed that she was strongest in the counties along the Rio Grande border so I suspect she was getting the vote based upon her surname rather than based upon her political positions.

I believe that the constituency for Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez overlaps with Hernandez, but Ramirez appears to be better qualified so I doubt that Hernandez will do as well in the 2020 primary.

Calista241

(5,584 posts)
11. Is this as big a red flag to everyone else as it is to me?
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 02:49 PM
Dec 2019

He ran in 2018 and almost beat Cruz. Is something different now? What is different? Does he not think he can win? What does that say about all the other races out there, including the Presidential race?

I feel a full blown panic attack coming.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
18. After two years being on the campaign trail
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 04:45 PM
Dec 2019

I think that he is ready to take a break. I don't believe that anything else should be inferred by his decision to stay out of the race or by Beto keeping true to his promises. However, I do believe that he would be criticized if he didn't keep his promises. By keeping his promises, Beto will also retain the loyalty of those candidates if he decides to run for political office again.

Other than some bloggers on political Websites and a few columnists, I don't believe that Cornyn has become a more vulnerable candidate than he was a year ago. I believe that Beto has made a reasonable assessment of the 2020 Senate race and realized that it was a bigger longshot than the 2018 campaign. I don't believe that Beto is in panic attack mode though and he is working hard to help other Democrats get elected at the state level. If he is successful, then Texas may be able to flip the House which would prevent the state from being gerrymandered after the 2020 census and election.

I view Beto's decision as wise and strategic for the long term. If Beto ran for Senate in 2020 and lost to Cornyn, then his political career is over. Two lost statewide elections and the withdrawal from a national election within a three year period is a red flag to all voters. At least he remains viable to run for governor in 2022 or for senator in 2024 with his decision not to enter the 2020 Senate race.

aikoaiko

(34,127 posts)
13. I know Beto, like Stacey Abrams, committed to not running and I wish they didn't.
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 03:36 PM
Dec 2019

2 more Senate seats in states like TX and GA are more important than any cabinet position at this point.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
20. Add Bullock to that list
Fri Dec 6, 2019, 05:06 PM
Dec 2019

since he decided not to run against Daines.

I think that the individual candidates are more capable to determine the political calculus than bloggers on the Internet. Nobody should be coerced to run for office if they don't believe that they can win or if their heart isn't into the campaign.

TexasTowelie

(111,301 posts)
27. For some reason, I expect that there will be some people that will still criticize Beto
Mon Dec 9, 2019, 11:13 AM
Dec 2019

even after the deadline passes. The opportunity to knock a good Democrat never ceases for some people and they will drive the stake so hard and so deep that Beto will never have a chance to be resurrected.

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